E163: ‌Mastering People and Processes to Have a Business Running Like a Well-Oiled Machine

Angela Johnson has been working at A1 Garage Doors since 2008. An accomplished and results-driven operations manager who has mastered overseeing business operations and driving business development, she has had almost three decades of professional experience in the fields of customer service and sales management.

In this episode, we talked about telemarketing, client service, sales management, training…

Show notes

• Introducing Angela Johnson. [1:26]
• How Angela got her start in the industry. [3:06]
• The main differences between inbound and outbound sales. [5:16]
• The most enjoyable aspects of customer service. [6:05]
• Some of the critical things that home service companies and owners should be thinking about as they grow. [7:17]
• The two supervisory levels at A1 Garage and how they work in terms of checks and balances, quoting, etc. [10:42]
• The average statistics (including number of calls) of a great, high-performing CSR. [13:08]
• The differences between an IVR and an Auto Attendant, plus their pros and cons. [14:54]
• The learning management system that Angela is developing. [17:39]
• How the accountability partner system works, especially in helping agents become better at their work. [19:04]
• Why practicing plays a very important role in developing a call center and improving a company’s operations. [20:52]
• Understanding the important aspects and timing when it comes to scaling a company. [22:01]
• Why having a CRM is so important to a company. [22:57]
• How to improve the system of callbacks and follow-ups to get more sales. [24:29]
• How the pay structure at A1 Garage works. [28:11]
• How to handle the gray areas in a pay-for-performance setup. [31:00]
• What to look out for when interviewing potential hires under this pay system. [35:55]
• How to look at staffing from a workforce management perspective. [38:38]
• Why it’s important for a fast-growing business to have a backup call center. [40:57]
• On “aha!” moments, and why you should go back to basics in figuring out how to best address your customers’ needs. [43:25]
• Why empathy is so important, and the Feel, Felt, Found method. [47:05]
• Sales techniques that enable a business to really reach the decision-makers of each household. [49:35]
• Why some companies fall flat when they try to implement change. [53:00]
• The “new age” of doing things in business. [54:09]
• Why proper delegation of leadership is so important in business. [56:05]
• Setting A1 Garage’s revenue goals for the next three to five years. [58:03]
• Angela’s most important piece of advice to home service business owners. [1:00:07]

Resources And People Mentioned:

• Google
• ServiceTitan
• Sean Hannity 
• Roger Federer
• Tiger Woods
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
• The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber